THE CARCAGIEU. 61 



driven back and pursued by the fresh hunters. They 

 turned and flew, rather than ran, in another direction ; 

 but there too they found new enemies. In this way they 

 were alternately pursued, backwards and forwards, till at 

 length, notwithstanding the skill of the hunters, (who 

 were merely armed with bows and arrows,) they all 

 escaped ; and the party, after running for two hours, 

 returned without having caught any thing, and their 

 horses foaming with sweat. This chase, the greater part 

 of which was seen from the camp, formed a beautiful 

 scene, but to the hunters is exceedingly laborious, and so 

 unproductive, even when they are able to worry the ani- 

 mal down and shoot him, that forty or fifty hunters will 

 sometimes be engaged for more than half a day, without 

 obtaining more than two or three antelopes." 



As the herd bounded away from me, with unapproach- 

 able speed, the wounded one, lagged behind, and I was 

 about to give chase, when one of those fierce animals, 

 known by the hunters as the cargagieu, and believed by 

 many of them to bear a " charmed life," sprang from a 

 rock upon the antelope's back, bore it to the ground, and 

 before I could raise my rifle to a fair aim, sprung away 

 up the rocks again, bearing the prey in its teeth. 



Most of the hunters give the cargagieu a wide berth. 

 It is a species of glutton, of a dark color, and possessing 

 astonishing courage, activity, strength, and ferocity. 



6 



